RUTH NELSON
The funeral for Ruth Nelson was held 1:00 p.m. Friday, November 19, 2021 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church of Veblen. Rev. Karie Geyer officiated and interment was in the Veblen Cemetery under the direction of the Price Funeral Chapel of Britton.
Visitation was one hour prior to the service at the church.
Ruth Irene Storbakken was born January 18, 1928 on the family farm four miles north of Veblen. She attended Pleasant Prairie and Fairview rural schools for the first eight years of elementary education - walking or riding a horse with her brothers and sisters to school. She was baptized and confirmed at Palestine Lutheran Church. She attended Veblen High School - spending the winters in town with her sister, Lillian, and graduated as the salutatorian of her class in 1946.
Immediately upon graduation, Ruth attended a six-week course at the current Northern State University (NSU) making her eligible to teach in a “country” school that fall. That winter she was the only teacher in a one-room schoolhouse five miles southwest of Veblen. She stayed with a family near the school during the week, and her father drove to pick her up and bring her home on weekends. Following her first year of teaching, she attended NSU full-time and graduated with an Associate’s Degree making her eligible to teach in a “town” school. She then taught for one year in Sisseton, SD in the elementary school.
In 1947, Ruth met Gordon Nelson - also of Veblen - at a “basket social” at the rural school where Gordon’s mother was the teacher. On their first date, they attended the movie “Never Say Goodbye” at the Ritz Theater in Veblen. On June 11, 1949, they were married at Palestine Lutheran Church. They settled in Veblen and in 1951 took over what would later become Nelson’s Grocery Store and in 1958 purchased a house in Veblen that Ruth would call home for the next 58 years.
While raising her two children, Ruth taught kindergarten at the Veblen Elementary School. After her children both began attending school, she devoted more time to her teaching career, eventually becoming a full-time teacher focusing on remedial reading instruction. During this time, Ruth attended summer school and evening classes, and she received her Bachelor’s Degree from NSU in 1981 at the age of 53.
Ruth was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church teaching Sunday School and Bible School and belonging to circles, WELCA, and the quilting group. She was also a member of the Veblen Auxiliary and the Veblen Senior Center.
In 1986 Gordon and Ruth sold Nelson’s Grocery Store and Gordon retired, and in 1989 Ruth retired after 25 years of teaching. Upon retirement, they began traveling each winter to North Padre Island near Corpus Christi, Texas with Leo and Glada Storbakken and Erling and Lillian Berger. There, Ruth and Gordon enjoyed beach walks, fishing, and the family Super Bowl parties.
After almost 56 years of marriage, Ruth lost Gordon - the love of her life. They had been inseparable and devoted to each other those many years. She remained in her home in Veblen another nine years keeping busy at the Veblen Senior Center, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, and with her friends and family.
In 2014, Ruth moved to the Spruce Court Assisted Living facility in Britton, SD and later lived at Primrose Cottage and Angelhaus both in Aberdeen, SD.
Over the years, Ruth’s greatest joys were her faith, raising her family, baby-sitting her granddaughters, teaching her students in school, and spending time with family and friends. Her hobbies included gardening, crocheting afghans, painting dishtowels, reading, traveling, and walking with her husband. Music was also a big part of her life starting with Ruth and her sister Lillian talking their dad into buying a piano and continuing through encouraging her granddaughters with their piano playing. When Ruth was younger, she sang duets at weddings and funerals with Lillian, and when she was older she sang at many events with her friend, Coleen Halverson.
Ruth passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at Angelhaus in Aberdeen, SD.
Ruth is survived by her daughter, Shirley (Terry) Ochsner, of Aberdeen, SD and her son Robert (Janice) Nelson of Merrimac, MA; six granddaughters: Lyndsey (Ryan Sypherd) Ochsner, Ashley (Rob) Borchardt, Erin (Jon) Wlodyka, Stephanie (Brian) Sweet, Madelyn and Jennifer Nelson; and six great-grandchildren: Ethan, Trevor, and Brodie Wlodyka and Cashman, Vivienne, and Emery Sweet.
Preceding her in death were her parents, Alf and Rosetta Storbakken; her husband, Gordon; her four brothers, Alvin, Carl, Leo, and Roy; and both sisters, Mable and Lillian.
Condolences may be directed to the family in care of Shirley Ochsner – 1302 Mel-Ros Dr. – Aberdeen, SD 57401.
An online guestbook and obituary are available at www. pricefuneralchapel.net.